Soap cutting and pressing machine.



PATBNTED APR. so; 1907.

H. w. MoEWEN. soap CUTTING AND PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLIGLTIOI FILED 116.14. 1908.

WITNESSES m: min "no we" inane-nu. I

PATENTED'APR. 30', 1907.

a. w. muzwnu. soar CUTTING AND PRESSING momma.

lPPLIOATIOI FILED AUG. H. 19.

' WITNES8E8 A TTORNEYS UN [TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOAP CUTTING AND PRESSING MACHINE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed August- 14, 1908. Serial No. 330,526.

To all whom, it nut y concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH WiLLIAM Mc- Ewnx, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago. in the county of Cook gand State ofIllinois have invented a. new and Improved Soap Cutting and PressmlgMachine, of which the following is a ful clear. and exact description.

This invention comprises a new and improved machine for cutting longbars of seep into short sections and pressing each of said sections intoa regular sized cake.

The object thereof is to produce a device of this character which isautomatic in its operation and which carries on all the necessary stepsin their regular se nencc without the aid or attention of a skilledoperator.

The invention further consists in the combination of elementshereinafter set forth, whereby the desired results are accomplished.

Reference is to be had to the accompnnying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, in which Figure l is a sideelevation of the complete machine; 2 is a vertical longitudina section;Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing certain of the parts in section; Fig.4 is a plan view of the receiving pockets and mechanism for spacin thesame; Fl 5 is a detailed plan view of t e means employed for releasingthe 11 per portion of the mold: and Fig. 6 is a. data ed section showinga portion of the mold and its relensi means.

In my invention preferably employ a main rectangular frame having sidebars 1 and suitable supporting legs 2. Journaled in suitable bearings atone end of this frame, is the drive shaft 3 bv which the working partsare operated. This drive shaft carries a. suitable fly wheel 4 on oneend and two cranks intermediate ils ends. The cranks 5 have connectingrods 6 pivoted to the ends thereof and connected to the working parts ofthe machine. At the opposite end of the machine are two standards 7.having a platform 8 extending across the machine and serving as asupport for the bars of soap before the same are fed into the cuttingmechanism. The platform 8 has a slot extending substantially the entirelength thereof and of sufficient width to permit of the usage of thesoap bar. This slot is sub-divided by a. plurality of wires 9 extendingfrom one side of the platform to the other and of a. suflicient distanceapart so that the small cakes of soap formed thereby will be of theproper proportions. Su ported above this slot is a plunger 10 of slip;ltly less width than the slot in the platform and having grooves 11 outupward to rmit of the possage of the plunger into said slot and theinsertion of the wires in the said rocves.

The soap to be cut up and formed into cakes is usually supplied in theform of long cylindrical bars which are placed on the latform 8 and asthe longer 10 is raised the bar of soap is placed over the slot andsupported on the cross wires 9. As the plunger 10 descends, it forcesthe bar of soap down through the slot and the wires serve to cut the barinto a plurality of small sect-ions, while the wires pass upward intothe grooves in the plunger and permit a free up and down movementthereof. For reciprocating the plunger, I extend the ends thereof beyondthe standards 7 and mount said ends upon vertical rods 12 adapted to bereciprocated in any suitable manner but preferabl bv the mechanism aboutto be describe The upper end of the rods 12 extend through the upperside of the frame and have coiled springs 13 mounted thereon and tendingto lift the rods and therefore the plunger against the action ofgravity.

Within the main rectangular frame are mounted two wedge-she d plates 14adapted to he moved longitu inally of said frame bv the rotation of themain drive shaft 3.

hesc wedge-shaped plates 1-1 fit in grooves on the under side of theframe and have their cam surfaces on the lower side. The rods 12 extenddown below the lower edge of these plates and are provided with suitableantit'rietion rollers 15 adapted to bear against the under side of thetwo wedge-shaped plates. As the two lntes are moved toward theright-hand sir c, it will he noted that the antifrlction rollers aretraveling along the under side of the plates and being raised togetherwith the plunger by the action of the coiled springs 13; but when thetriangular plates 14 are moved in the opposite direction, namely, fromthe right to the left. the anti-friction rollers 15 are drawn down, andthus by springing u )on the plunr'er 10, cause it to pass thrmlg theslot in the platform 8, and sub-divide a bar of soap supported on thecutting wires 9. The under side of the plunger 10 is preferably concaveto fit the soap ICO bar, and suitable guides may be cm loycd, ifdesired, to prevent the bar of soap rom sliding oil the further sidewhen it is placed upon the cutting wires.

For receiving the shorter bars of soap as they fall from beneath thecutting wires 9, I provide a plurality of open-ended pockets 16,supported upon two cross bars 17 along which they are adapted to slide.These pockets 16 are provided with lugs 18 for properly spacing themapart. and are prorided with chains or other suitable connecting means19 to prevent the pocketsfroxn be ing moved more than a predeterminedd1S tance apart. For moving the pockets apart aft-er the cakes of soaphave fallen therein, I provide one of the ockets with a bar 20 extending out throng one of the standards 7, and having means on the outerend thereof for reciprocating said rod at the desired time in theoperation of the machine. The bottom :21 of each of the pockets ishinged to the side wall and normally held closed by a suitable spring2:2, while the opposite edge of the bottom is extended to form a catch'23 adapt ed to e age with the mold and 0 )en the bottom of t e pocketto discharge 1 19 contents into the mold as the latter reaches therequired position.

Extending across the main frame of the machine intermediate its length,is a heavy cross beam 24 carrying a portion of the soap mold and havingthe triangular plates 14, previously referred to, rigidly attachedthereto. This cross beam also carries a second set of substantiallrtrianqular plates 25 extending longitudinally of the machine and in anopposite direction from the plates 14, and by which motion istransmitted from the connesting rod 6 to the cross beam 24. as theseplates :25 are adapted to he reciprocatcd along the frame by saidconnecting rod which may I be secured to the latter in any suitable man-D01.

The second or reciprocating portion 26 of the mold comprises a heavyweight extending across the frame and having recesses or i cavities '27in the lower side thereof, into i which the soap fits as the mold isoperated in the manner hereinafter described. This 1 weight 26 has tworods '28 extending outward therefrom and in alincment therewith, both iof which are connected to sleeves 29 supported to reciprocate thestationary rods 30. 5 Each rod 28 is also provided with anli-friei tionrollers 31 ada ted to rest on the upper surface of each of t 19 camplates 2-3. whereby as the said plates are moved longitudinally of theframe. the weight .26 will be raised or T lowered according to thedirection of the movement of said plates. (.onnecting the upper ends ofthe two stationary rods is a cross iece '32 having a vertical passagethrong which extends a rod 33 carried by i the weight 26 olrthe uppersurface thereof. 1

This rod 33 has a notch 34 cut in one side of the some and the upperside of the cross piece 32 has a spring-pressed lever 35 pivoted theretoand adapted to engage the notch 34 in the rod 33 when the weight israised a suflicient distance by the longitudinal movement of thetriangular plates 25. For releasin the lever 35 from the notch 34, Iconnect the opposite end of said lever by a rod 36 to a suitable trigger37 lying in the line of movement of the triangular plates 25 or theirsupporting member. This trigger is preferably mounted in a suitableguide 38 and normally held in one position by a suitable sprin 39. Toone end of the trigger 37 is secured the rod 36, and the tri ger is solocated that it does not contact WltTl the plate or its supportingmember until the plate 25 has very nearly reached the limit of itsmovement, at which time the beam 24, constituting the lower portion ofthe mold, is directly below the weight 26 and the latter is allowed todro 'l lie lower portion of the mold is mounted to move along the frametogether with the triangular plates 14 and 25, but as it is essentialthat the said mold should be in exactly a certain given position at thetime the upper portion of the mold is released and dropped, the lowerportion preferably has a certain freedom of motion in the frame and isnormally held to its extreme left-hand position by a suitable spring 40.As the triangular plates and cross beam .Z-L'constituting the lowerportion of the mold, are moved toward the left-hand. the cross beam 24contacts with a stop 41 of any suitable character and the plates 2-5 and14 may continue their movement until the trigger 37 is operated and theupper half of the mold allowed to drop upon the lower half. For suitablysupporting the cross beam at the time the weight is dropped, Ipreferably )rovide suit ablc standards or supports 42 0 any suitablecharacter. with the upper surfaces of which the mold comes in contact.whereby the shock caused by the dropping of the upper portion of themold is received on said standards instead of upon the main frame of themachine.

The cross beam 24 has recesses cut therein and adapted to receive themold blocks 43, which may be raised up out of the cross beam 24 andpermit of the discharge of the com plclcd cake of soap in the followingmanner: Each mold block 43 has a rod or bar 44 0X- tending downwardlhcrel'l'mu and adapted to be capable of a short rcciprocntiu" motion.llingrcd to the lnwvr end of each of the rods -14 is a second member 45having an anti-friction roller 45 on its lower end. adapted to managewith triangular plates or cam surfaces 46, whereby as the cross beam 24is moved toward the right the anti-friction rollers engage the camsurfaces of the plates 46 and raise the mold blocks 43 out of the crossbeam. As the motion of the cross beam progresses, the finished cakes ofsoap may come into engagement with down-hanging balflcs 47 supported ona rod 48, or in any open the pocket in opposition to the action 0 thespring .22 and atthe time the mold reaches the end of its course, thebottom of the pocket is opened sufficiently wide for the cake of soap toescape into the mold. As the rod 44 has its extension 45 hinged thereto,it is evident that the mold may freely return to its normal positionwithout the cake being rejected from the mold. The baffles 47 are freeto swing toward the left to permit of this return but are prevented fromswinging toward the right, whcreb the cake is positively removed fromthe orward movement of the mold.

As the recesses in thc mold must of necessity be a certain distance aart, and as there is no appreciable'distancc etween the ends of therespective cakes as they fall from the cutting wires 9, it is desirablethat the receiving pockets may space apartafter they rc ceivetbc cakesof sea from the cutting wires and before they do iver the same to the,molds. To accomplish this, the pockets are connected by chains 19, aspreviously de scribed. and the bar 20 connected to the end pocketextends out through one of the standards 7 and is provided with a coiledspring 49, normallv tendi v to forcethe pockets together. The end dfthisrod is pro vided with a vertical tee having small a11tifriction rollers50 on the two ends thereof and adapted to rest on the outer cam surfacesof two parallel triangular plates 51, adapted to move back and forthacross the standard 7. I For moving these plates, I provide them with anextension 52, having a coiled spring 53 normally tending to force themin one d1- rectlon, while an arm 54 is pivoted to the upper portion ofthe frame and rests against a roller 55 on the opposite end of theplates. The arm 54 extends downward to the main frame and is adapted tobe engaged by the end of a U-shaped stop 56 carried by the cross beam 24and curved so that it does not interfere with the free motion of saidbeam to a position beneath the pockets. As the beam 24 carrying themolds is moved toward the right, it contacts with the end of the lever54, and in moving the latter itforces the plates 51 beneath the rollers50 and thus draws out the rod 20 against the action of the spring 49 andpulls the pockets :1 sufficicnt distance apart, whereby each pocket willbe directly above its corresponding mold.

The reciprocating parts of the machine may be separated within the mainframe and may be secured to the connecting rods 6 in any suitablemanner. Preferably the end of the cross beam 24, having the lowerportion of the mold, is provided with recesses in the ends thereofadapted to receive the side members 1 of the main frame and a secondcross beam 57 is similarly supported, as indicated in Fig. 6, with theplates 25 secured to the up or side thereof and the two connecting ro sjournaled intermediate its ends.

In the operation of my improved soap cutting and pressing machine, theshaft 3 is rotated from any suitable source of power and longcylindrical bars of soap are placed on the platform 8. Starting with theparts in their extreme left-hand position, the plunger 10 will be at itslowest position and the weight- 26, constitutin the upper half of themold, will rest upon the lower half with the finished cakes of soapbetween the two. As the machine is started, the triangular plates 25move toward the right and raise the weight 26 off the cross beam 24before the latter begins to move as the cross beam is in such a positionon the frame that the spring 40 was sli htly compressed at the time theweight fell. After the weight has been raised a short distance above thecross beam 24, the latter begins its movement toward the right and asthe 0x1 ension 45 comes in contact with the beveled surfaces of theplates 46, the cakes are raised from the recesses in the beam 24 andupon-' further movement they are brushed oil' by the plates 47. As soonas the extension 45 passes the end of the plates 46, the lower portionsof the molds drop within the recesses of the cross bcam 24 and thelatter thcn engages with the bottom of the pockets l6 and permits thedischarge of the unfinished cakes from said pockets into the recesses inthe beam '24. Meanwhile, the stop 56 has engaged the lever arm 54 andspaced the pockets apart and the roller 15 has passed up the cam surfaceof the plate 14 to raise the plunger 10 for tho insertion of a new barof soap from the platform 8. As the parts more toward the left, theplunger brought down and the pockets allowcd to come together by thodisengagement of the stop 56 from the lever arm 54. The beam 24 canfreely pass hcncath the baffles 47 and then pass over the standards tothe action of the spring 44 and upon this further movement the tri gel37 is pulled and the catch 35 released mm the notch to permit the weightto instantly descend upon the unfinished cakes of soap resting in therecesses in the cross beam 24 and thus compress them into the desiredshape. The walls of these recesses may be provided with any suitablelettering or desi which it is desired to stamp upon the finished cakesof soap at the time thev are thus formed. By the time the weight dropsthe plunger 10 has been again drawn down by the action of the plates 14and the next bar of soap has been cut into sections by the wires 19 anddeposited into the receiving pockets below.

It is of course understood that my machine is not limited to the formingof cakes from bars of soap, as it is evident that the machine may beused with any )lastic or semi-plastic substance which itis esired totreat in the same way.

Various changes may be made in. the construction of the machine abovedescribed, and it is evident that various of the parts may be replacedby their equivalents or used by themselves in different relationswithout de arting from the spirit of my invention.

laring thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

I. In a soap cutting and pressing machine in combination, means forsub-dividing aha-r into a lurality of cakes, pockets to receive each ofsaid cakes, means for moving said pockets to space the same apart, andmeans adapted to receive the cakes from the pockets and press them tothe desired shape.

2. In combination, a platform having a slot therein, a plurality ofwires extending across said slot, aplunger mounted above said platformand adapted to pass through the slot therein .vertical rods upon whichsaid lunger is mounted, and longitudinally movmg plates having camsurfaces adapted to engage the lower end of said rods and depress thesame, and causing the plunger to pass through the said slot.

3. n combination, two vertical standards, a platform mounted on the saidstandards, a vertical reciprocating rod adjacent each of said standards,a spring on each of said rods normallytending to raise the same, aplunger carried by said rods and ada ted to pass through an opening inthe platform, and plates movable in respect to the platform and havingcam surfaces adapted to enga c with said vertical rods, whereby upon t elongitudinal movement of said plates, the plunger is forced through theopening in the platform.

4. In combination, means for su b-dividin a bar of plastic material intoa plurality 0 sections, ockcts adapted to receive said sections, it purality of molds in which said sections are pressed, and means for movinsaid molds toward said pockets and simui taneously spacilu said pocketsapart.

5. In com ination, means for sub-dividin a bar of plastic material intoa luralit 0 sections, a pluralit of open-en ed poo ets beneath said subividin mechanism and adapted to receive the said sections, means formoving said pocket-s longitudinally to space the sections a greaterdistance, and means for opening the lower side of each of said pocketsto permit the escape of the contents thereof.

6. In combination, means for sub-djvidin a bar of plastic material intoa plurality 0 sections, a plurality of longitudinally movable pocketsmounted beneath said sub-dividing mechanism and adapted to receive saidsections, means connecting each of said pockets to the next succeedingone to limit the distance to which they may be separated, and means formoving one of said pockets longitudinally.

7. In combination, a plurality of mold sections, correspondin moldsections mounted above the same and adapted to be brought in contactwith said first mentioned mold sections, means for moving said firstmentioned mold sections laterally and simultaneously raising the bottomthereof, and a battle adapted to engage with the contents of the moldsto remove the same upon further lat and movement of the mold sections.

8. In combination, a laterally movable base mold section, a reelroeating mold section ada ted to be broi t into engagement therewitmeans for raising the bottom of said mold section as the latter is movedlaterally, means for removing the contents of said mold section uponfurther lateral movement thereof, and means for refilli said moldsection upon still further latera movement.

9. In combination, a laterally movable mold section, means for removingthe contents thereof upon the lateral movement of said section, apocket, means for mo said pockets into alinement with the me] sections,and means for discharging the contents of said pocket into said moldsection upon the fu ther lateral movement of the latter.

10. In combination, a laterally movable mold section, means for fillingthe said section. supports over which said section is adapted to bemoved, a vertical reciprocating mold section adapted to be brought incontact with said base section, and means for releasing said verticallymovable section and permitting it to drop upon the base section as thelatter reaches a position above said supports.

11. In combination, a rectangular frame, standards mounted upon the saidframe, a vertically movable mold section slidablc on the said standards.two plates mounted to move longitudinally of said frame, the upper edgeof each of said plates being inclined, means whereby. the mold sectionwill be raised upon the longitudinal movementof said plates, means forholding said mold section In its raised position during the returnmovement of said "plates, and means for releasin said mold section uponthe completion 0 said return movement.

.12. In combination, a frame, an upper mold section movable only. in avertical plane, a lower mold section movable only in a lateral plane,and means for simultaneously raising said upper mold section andlaterally movin said lower mold section.

, 13. n combination, a frame, sub-dividing ,means mounted thereon,receiving pockets,

a vertically movable mold section, a laterally movable mold section, andmeans for simultaneously raising said vertically movable mold section,removing the contents of said lateral] movable mold section and raisingsaid so dividing means.

.14. In combination, a plurality of pockets, a plurality of moldsections, and means whereby upon the lateral movement of said sectionsthe contents of said molds is removed and the contents of said pocketsdelivered to said molds.

15. In combination, a plurality of pockets, means for sub-dividing a barof plastic material and delivering a section to each of said pockets,chains connecting said pockets, molds adapted to be moved beneath saidpockets, and means whereby the chains are drawn taut and the pocketsplaced to the maximum distance simultaneously with the movement of themold sections beneath said pockets.

16. In combination, a plurality of pockets, means for supporting saidpockets, a bar secured to one of said pockets, a plate having aninclined edge adapted .to be moved in contact with said bar and move thesame longitudinally, a spring normally tending to move said bar in theopposite direction, flexible means connecting said pockets, and'meansfor movi said plate in contact with said her, where the latter is movedlongitudinally and t e pockets spaced to a greater distance apart.

In testimony whereof I have s ned my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribi witnesses.

HU H WILLIAM MCEWEN. Witnesses:

HARRY H. VAN. Voonnnns, Mosns BRYANT.

